As of Monday morning, the eatery’s website and Facebook page are gone too, though a message on the restaurant’s answering machine lays bare the circumstances leading to its closure. Mission, which is owned by the Hemisphere Restaurant Partners, who are also responsible for Atlas Grill and other Minneapolis eateries, outlines a months-long attempt to “earnestly negotiate terms of a remodel and a sustainable lease,” which ultimately fell through.

They also cite an “increasingly nonviable cost structure of doing business downtown,” before thanking their customers for their “loyalty for all these years.”

For a cool time? We recommend calling and listening to the calm delivery of Mission’s parting message at 612-339-1000. It’s not often you get to *hear* someone explain why their restaurant closed.

Not into phone calls? Their transcript appears in full below. Either way, we’re pouring out a Caesar salad in memory of the restaurant's solid 17-year run.

Given the increasingly nonviable cost structure of doing business downtown we for many months attempted to earnestly negotiate terms of a remodel and a sustainable lease. After 17 years of faithful service in the IDS Center, we regrettably report that we were unsuccessful in achieving workable terms and have decided to close the business effective immediately. Thank you for choosing Mission and thank you for your loyalty for all these years.